Bleachers exiled

Recently, in a letter supposedly issued by administrators of the Irwin High School in St. James and addressed to parents/guardians, students who were found guilty of skin bleaching were being asked to stay at home – away from the classroom – until their “original complexion” returned. The PNPYO caught wind of the now highly publicized issue and, in a statement to the Western Mirror, are shunning the actions of the school administrators, claiming, among other things, that the letter infringes on the UN Convention’s Rights of the Child to education.

The letter supposedly issued by the Irwin High School administration

“As creative as the letter was, it was not the appropriate
response and could in fact compound the problem, rather than solve it, by
keeping children out of school,” the PNPYO declared. They continued: “Our
concern stems from the fact that Jamaica is a signatory the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, wherein the right to education is guaranteed. The act
of preventing students from attending school due to skin bleaching could open
the door for parents to mount a challenge on the basis that it infringes on
their right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds of colour.”

The letter, which surfaced sometime around the week of the
16th to the 22nd, is quoted as saying: “We have observed
the changes to the tone and complexion of the skin of your child/ward. These
changes are more visible on his/her face when compared to the photograph that
is on file. We are therefore asking for a medical report from a doctor
concerning the condition, as we are not sure if it is contagious. If this is
not forthcoming, we ask that the child/ward remains home until his/her original
complexion has returned and when it would have been deemed safe for him/her to
be integrated into the school population. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The PNPYO further shared with the Western Mirror that
while they understood the need to curb the worrying trend, the approach could
benefit from being more tactful on the part of the school administration. “We
must endeavour to implement a more strategic response that allows for
psychological reconciliation that has not happened post-independence.” To that
end, in admitting that the education system could be the driver of the
post-independence reconciliation for these troubled students, the youth
organization made several suggestions they believe could positively impact the
problem.

SUGGESTIONS

As part of what they believe to be a reparative,
comprehensive and long term approach, the PNPYO suggests first formalizing
Garveyism as part of the nation-wide school curriculum, and testing the
framework through partnerships with the Liberty Hall and the UNIA (Universal
Negro Improvement Association). Additionally, “Partnering with community
stakeholders and psychologists to set up clubs and societies in the most
affected schools,” with a focus on self-esteem, racial pride and behaviour
change and modification, the PNPYO believes, could further serve to dissuade
the act of skin bleaching among students, and even adults. They lastly
suggested the retooling of the guidance departments in these schools.
“Equipping guidance counsellors with the intervention skills and resources to
persuade the student and their families against the practice of skin
bleaching,” they added, could also help.

“Shaming students is not the most efficient means of helping
them. Let us retool them with the confidence they need to embrace their noble
heritage in totality, without jeopardizing their prospects of success through
education and training,” the PNPYO concluded.